On board the AmaLegro with AmaWaterways – Paris to Normandy, France

From Rouen-Les Andelys, we visited Château Gaillard high atop the Seine. The remains of this impressive fortress were built by Richard I of England, the feudal Duke of Normandy, who was better known as Richard the Lionheart. In Conflans-Paris, we toured Château de Malmaison, which was once home to Josephine and Napolean Bonaparte. This estate, purchased by Josephine in 1797, was at one time known to have “the most beautiful and curious garden in Europe” with over 200 plants that had never been seen before in France. The highlight of the cruise, however, was the moving and emotional day spent at Omaha Beach, Pointe-du-Hoc, the D-Day Museum, and the American Cemetery. It was a day we’ll never forget.

View overlooking the River Seine from Château Gaillard

Napolean’s library

Pointe-du-Hoc

With full days and excursions in each port city, it was always nice to come back to the comfort of our ship where light snacks and refreshments awaited us in the lounge. The evenings would usually begin with cocktails in the lounge area (several nights hosted by the Captain and crew) followed by dinner.  Daily dining options on board the ship included either a lighter lunch served in the lounge or a full menu in the Main Restaurant. In the evenings, there were two options for dinner. The ship’s specialty restaurant, Erlebnis, serves an elegant regionally inspired fixed menu paired with French wines and is a great option to experience once or twice during the cruise.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin at Erlebnis Restaurant

The evening dinners in the Main Restaurant are expertly prepared by Chef Dorner and his team.  Inspired by the cuisine of Normandy, there were several menu options to choose from each night.  Some of the culinary highlights during the cruise were the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner, the Captain’s Gala Dinner, and the Farewell Dinner.

Every European sailing features a special Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner

The AmaLegro was elegant and stylish, yet had a very comfortable feel. With just 150 passengers, the ship’s staff gets to know each guest personally. We found all of the crew members to be very engaging and accommodating.  It felt as though we had been invited to a friend’s beautiful home where we enjoyed their fine amenities and companionship and shared some laughs and good times together with the perfect host. The entire ship’s staff was very helpful and we really enjoyed the lively personality and sense of humor of the ship’s captain, Dany Duvinage.

With Captain Dany

If you’re looking for a complete and active luxury travel experience that combines unforgettable scenery with history, art, and exceptional food and wine, then consider a river cruise with AmaWaterways. A nice touch that arrived once we were home was a postcard from the crew of the AmaLegro thanking us for traveling with them and their wish to welcome us back onboard again soon. We certainly hope to travel with AmaWaterways on one of their other exciting itineraries in Europe, Asia, or Africa in the near future.

Au revoir!

It was hard to say goodbye to 2nd Captain Geoffrey Masson and  Captain Dany Duvinage

Here are some other articles from this trip to Paris and Normandy:

The Hôtel Fouquet’s Barrière – Paris,  France

Visiting Normandy, France with AmaWaterways

The Sights and Sounds Claude Monet’s Giverny

Reflections on the 70th Anniversary of D-Day – June 6, 1944 – June 6, 2014

Au revoir

* Several photographs and one video clip in the video are courtesy of AmaWaterways.

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Disclosure  – AmaWaterways provided a media package for our cruise.  We have not been compensated for any articles written and the opinions expressed are our own.